The Ghana National Bureau of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme has held a training workshop for all insurance companies in Kumasi.

Held last Monday at the Miklin hotel, the training focused on underwriting and claims management of the Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme as specified in the provisions of the scheme’s protocols.

Speaking to the media in Kumasi, the CEO/General Secretary of the Ghana National Bureau of the scheme, Mr. Gabriel Glover, said: “The Bureau recognizes the important role of the insurance companies as parties responsible to issue the brown card to motorists across the sub-region”.

He emphasized the huge responsibility placed on insurance companies to issue to its policy holders Ecowas Brown Cards which he said guarantees such policy holders adequate cover against motor vehicle third party risks they may incur in the countries they visit.

Touching on claims management, the CEO said, “Any claim reported to the issuing bureau shall be examined promptly and unequivocally admitted or repudiated within thirty (30) days of receipt of the report from the handling bureau. If the liability is admitted, the claim shall be settled within thirty (30) days of such admission”.

Participants were also taken through a new ICT Consulting software called BCWEB Sys (Brown Card Web System), which is a cloud computing solution hosted on a remote server, and designed to centralize online ECOWAS BROWN CARD Certificates’ information to follow up Brown Card Sales turnover and to have automatic outside claim report when a claim file is opened in the country of the accident.

The ECOWAS Brown-card Insurance Scheme was established following the endorsement of the 1982 Protocol to enhance the inter-states transports by the Head of Governments of the Economic Community of West African States.

The Protocol as amended aims at facilitating free movement for the citizens of member states and guaranteeing fair and prompt compensation for damages suffered by victims of road accidents involving international roads users.

The Brown card team moved from Kumasi to Techiman on Tuesday, 11th June and Bolgatanga on Thursday, 13th June respectively to provide training to Police MTTU officials who handle ECOWAS Brown card cases at the country's exit and entry points.